Heater for bowling balls



y 8, 1963 A. H. MAYER 3,091,681

HEATER FOR BOWLING BALLS Filed April 3. 1961 IN V EN TOR.

ATTORNE Y5 This application relates generally to improvements in bowlingapparatus and associated equipment, and more particularly to new andimproved means for heating a bowling ball to a desired playingtemperature.

The sport of bowling has grown considerably in recent years as evidencedby the large number of bowling establishments and bowling leagues whichexist throughout the country. While an individually owned bowling ballgenerally is protected Within a bowling bag between playing days, it hasbecome commonplace for many bowlers to leave the bowling bag in theinterior or trunk of their automobiles, to be removed only during actualbowling periods at the bowling alley.

As a result, the bowling ball is subjected to large extremes oftemperatures-particularly during the winter monthsand due to thecharacteristics of the materials used in bowling balls, it has beenfound that such temperature variations may adversely affect theperformance of the ball on the alley, and hence lower the score of theplayer.

Accordingly, it is a general object of this invention to provide novelmeans for insuring that a bowling ball be brought to a desired playingtemperature prior to periods of play.

It is another object of this invention to provide heating means adaptedfor use with an auto-mobile electrical circuit for bringing a bowlingball to a desired playing temperature just prior to its intended use.

It is still another object of this invention to provide bowling ballheating means, as above, which is adapted for simple connection to anautomobile battery, such as at the cigarette lighter receptacle on theautomobile dashboard.

It is a further object of this invention to provide novel bowling ballheating means, as above, which may be operatively connected to thebowling ball itself, or which may be operatively connected to the bagfor the bowling ball.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide bowling ballwith unique heating means characterized by its relatively low cost andsimplicity, and by its ease of adaptation to a source of energizingpotential in an automobile.

The novel features which are characteristic of the invention are setforth with particularity in the appended claim. The invention itself,however, both as to its organization and method of operation, togetherwith further objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood byreference to the following description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is :a perspective view illustrating one embodiment of theinvention as utilized With the cigarette lighter receptacle of anautomobile;

FIGURE 2 is a view, partly in cross-section, showing the heating elementof FIGURE 1 operatively inserted in a finger aperture of a bowling ball;

FIGURE 3 is a view illustrating an embodiment of the invention having amore permanent type of installation in an automobile; and

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view, partly broken away, of anotherembodiment of bowling ball heater in accordance with the inventionwherein the heating element is positioned within a bowling ball bag.

Referring now to the drawing, and more particularly to FIGURE 1 thereof,there is shown an illustrative emtates Patent 3,691,681 Patented May 28,1963 bodiment of the invention operatively connected in heatingrelationship with a bowling ball. In accordance with standardprocedures, the bowling ball is formed with a plurality of generallycylindrical finger-receiving apertures 12 which extend into the bowlingball for enabling the latter to be carried and thrown during play. Thematerials forming the bowling ball comprise certain plastic ingredients,and as a result, the rolling characteristics of the bowling ball on thealley may be greatly affected by extreme temperatures. Thus, it has beenfound that a bowling ball which has been lowered substantial-1y belownormal room temperatures will become more brittle and will not performin the same fashion on the bowling alley as a bowling ball at normalroom temperatures. This condition can adversely affect the game of theplayer and substantially reduce his score until the ball gradually warmsup to normal playing temperatures.

It has become a practice for many players, to store their bowling ballin their automobile, and particularly in the trunk of the automobile,between playing days. Thus, during the extreme low temperatures of thewinter months, the bowling ball when removed from the trunk may beextremely cold and adversely affect the pl-ayers game as describedhereinabove, until the ball has had the opportunity to warm up to normalplaying temperatures.

In accordance with the present invention, this undesirable condition iseliminated by the provision of a novel heating means which is adaptedfor simple con nection to the bowling ball and which receives itsenergization from the battery of the automobile. Thus, as shown inFIGURES l and 2 of the drawing, one particular embodiment of theinvention may take the form of a heating element adapted to be insertedinto one of the finger-receiving apertures 12 of the bowling ball forheating the ball when the element is energized by the automobilebattery. This embodiment of the invention comprises an elongated heatingelement 14 having a transverse dimension smaller than the diameter ofthe finger-receiving aperture 12 so that the heating element I4-mayeasily be inserted therewithin. Advantageously, the heating element 14may comprise a ceramic cartridge 16 having a coil of electrical heatingwire 18 embedded therewithin. The heating element 14 is securelyfastened to a handle 20 of any suitable electrical and heat insulatingmaterial such as plastic, wood, or the like, for facilitating theinsertion of the heating element into the fingerreceiving aperture.Preferably, the extent of this insertion may be limited by a suitableflange 22 at the base of the handle 20, which flange 22 is formed with adiameter greater than the diameter of the finger-receiving aperture 12.

In accordance with one particular feature of this invention, the heatingelement 14 is associated with suitable resilient gripping means whichserve to hold the heating element firmly in place within thefinger-receiving aperture after the heating element is insertedtherewithin. Thus, such resilient gripping means may take the form of aplurality of spring clamps 24 which are fastened to the handle 20 andextend downwardly therefrom adjacent the heating element 14. Asillustrated in FIG- URE 2, the spring clamps 24 normally are biasedoutwardly for an extent greater than the diameter of thefinger-receiving aperture, and when the heating element 14 is insertedwithin the latter, the spring clamps 24 are resiliently pressed againstthe interior walls of fingerreceiving aperture to hold the heatingelement firmly in place therewithin. Manifestly, those skilled in theart will appreciate that the spring clamps 24 are merely illustrative ofone type of resilient gripping means which may be utilized for thispurpose with the heating element, and

that other types of resilient gripping means may be used with equallyadvantageous results.

The electrically energizable heating coil 13 in the heating element 14is electrically connected to a pair of power conductors 26 and 28 whichextend through the handle 20 and through a suitable insulating cable 30to a terminal plug 32 adapted to be connected tothe automobile battery,either through any suitable switch or, if desired, through theautomobile cigarette lighter.

In the particular illustrative embodiment shown in FIG- URES 1 and 2,the terminal plug 32 takes the form of a connector shaped to fit withinthe cigarette lighter receptacle 34 normally provided in manyautomobiles. Thus, the terminal plug 32 advantageously is provided witha central terminal contact 35 separated by means of the insulator 36from the annular terminal contact 38 such that the insertion of theterminal plug 32 into the cigarette lighter receptacle 34 connects theheating element 14 to the automobile battery for energization of theheating element. If desired, it is contemplated that a suitabletemperature responsive switch 40', such as a thermostatic switch, may beprovided in the handle 20 in circuit with the power conductors andheating element for opening and closing the electrical energizingcircuit to maintain the heating element 14 at a desired temperature.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that it is necessary merely forthe player to insert the terminal plug 32 into the cigarette lighterreceptacle 34 at a time prior to the desired playing time for causingthe bowling ball to be heated to a desired playing temperature when thebowling ball is ready for use.

It further will be appreciated that the invention may easily and simplybe connected to the bowling ball and to the automobile batterycircuit-either by a direct connection or through the cigarette lighterreceptaclewhen the heating operation is desired, and at the completionthereof, the invention may be removed with equal ease and simplicity.

It may be desirable to provide a semi-permanent type of circuit in theautomobile so that it will be necessary only for the player to connectthe terminal plug when he leaves his home or ofiice for the bowlingalley. This may be achieved simply through the use of an elongated powercable 30 which extends from the dashboard 42 of the automobile to thetrunk thereof, either by running under the seats of the automobile, orby being wired in a position on the frame of the automobile.

It is appreciated that many bowlers prefer to store their bowling ballin a bowling bag 44to protect the same and to facilitate the carrying ofthe ball. Towards this end, the bowling bag may be provided with asuitable opening through which the heating element and handle may beinserted for operative connection between the heating element 14 and thebowling ball.

In lieu of such an arrangement, the bowling bag itself may be adapted asshown in FIGURE 4 for heating the bowling ball by means of a speciallyconstructed ball stand 46 having heating wires-48 distributed therein.Manifestly, it is desirable that the ball stand 46 be formed of asuitably constructed heat and electrically insulated material having theheating wires 48- embedded therewithin such that heat is transmitted tothe bowling ball when the ball 10 is rested thereon.

In this embodiment, the power cable 30 may be connected between theheating wires 48 in the ball stand 46 and a suitable terminal receptacle50 positioned in a wall of the bowling bag. Thus, in this embodiment, itmerely is necessary to plug a power cord from the automobile batteryinto the terminal receptacle 50 for providing energizing current fromthe battery to the heating wires 48.

Those skilled in the art will now appreciate that whether the heatingmeans is in the form of an elongated heating element adapted to beinserted into a finger-receiving aperture of the bowling ball, orwhether the heating means is in the form of a specially wired ball standwithin the bowling bag, it is fairly simple to connect the heating meansto the battery by the use of the cigarette lighter receptacle of theautomobile.

It further will be appreciated that in accordance with a feature of thisinvention, the heating means could easily be connected to or removedfromthe bowling ball so as notto interfere with the latter or requireany special adaptation thereof.

, While there has been shown and described a specific embodiment of thepresent invention, it will, of course, be understood that variousmodifications and alternative constructions may be made withoutdeparting from the true spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, itis intended by the appended claim to cover all such modifications andalternative constructions as fall within its true spirit and scope.

What is claimed as the invention is:

The improvement of heating means for heating a bowling. ball comprisingan elongated electrically energizable heating element, said heatingelement having a transverse dimension less than the diameter of thefinger-receiving opening in the bowling ball to enable said heatingelement to be inserted in said opening, elongated resilient grippingmeans attached to said heating element and of a length approximating thelength of said heating element for gripping the walls of saidfinger-receiving opening to maintain the heatingelement in placewhensaid element is positioned within said opening, handle means connectedto said heating element, flange means of greater diameter than saidfinger-receiving opening in the bowling ball positioned intermediate theheating element and the handle means for limiting the insertion of theheating element Within said finger-receiving opening, conductor meansconnected at one end to said heating element and extending through saidhandle means, anda terminal plug connected to the other end of saidconductor means, said terminal plug being shaped to operatively fitwithin the cigarette lighter receptacle in an automobile forelectrically connecting sa1d heating element to the automobile battery.

References (Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,098,735 Yentis Nov. 9-, 1937 2,214,084 Lovice Sept. 10, 1940 2,396,591Melniczak Mar. 12, 1946 2,469,468 Judd May 10, 1949 2,482,665 GeyerSept. 20, 1949 2,554,231 Wymore May 22, 1951 2,617,012 Westley Nov. 4,1952 2,920,243 Taren Jan. 5, 1960 3,013,141 Ellis Dec. 12, 196 1 CFOREIGN PATENTS 632,023 Germany July 1, 1936

